Bob and Carol Brazes used the occasion of the Northern Lehigh Middle School National Junior Honor Society's Senior Prom to make up for the prom they missed as seniors at school. He wore a white jacket, she was in a beautiful navy dress and they both had corsages.

The event is a community service project for Society members. Community service is required before moving up to the National Honor Society. It was held May 4.

Dawn Kemery and Jason Graver, Sue Bowser and Rick Eckhart, Society advisers, organized the program with a Chinese theme.

The year 2013 is the Year of the Snake. People born in this year will be rich in wisdom and charm, romantic, and a deep thinker. Their intuition guides them strongly. The Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle and the animals associated with that year repeat also. A person's year of birth holds the key to lifelong character and well being.

The theme of the prom was "The Year of the Dragon," and entertainment was provided by the Emerald Dragon Karate Thrill Show. Pagodas were used as the table centerpieces.

As soon as the school is entered people see the words for happiness, courage, love, the sun and moon in large Chinese characters on the floor.

Before the prom began people played the Zodiac game trying to find other people with the same year.

Aiden Blake entertained on the piano. When he finished his final tune, Divine Soundz took over the musical repertoire.

The food was Sue Bowser's contribution. Principal Jill Chamberlain said Bowser kept the students and their parents busy as an excellent meal came up from the kitchen. Food preparation began at 3:30 p.m. Students served and cleared tables though the main part of the meal was a buffet.

Sue Chamberlain, principal, said, "This is one of the best events the school does. Bowser is queen of cooking. The smell was overwhelming. I gained 10 pounds on the smell alone. It took them three days to make the 500 fundraising pumpkin rolls. As a service project it is incredible. The eighth graders work on it all year."

"The kids raised all of the money. There are 176 guests here," said Graver. Asked about the vehicle outside with Delaware license plates, he said it was his parents who come every year: James and Ginger Graver. Ginger is a Northern Lehigh graduate.

Red lanterns were added to the lights and balloons that surrounded the room. Masks decorated the buffet table.

Following dinner, Victoria Lear, a seventh grader, sang accompanied by Mat Handley on the guitar.

The tables were cleared away and the DJ said, "Shall we dance?" The first song was "Love me, love me, never let me go." The first couple on the dance floor was Connie and Bob Berger.

There were 35 cakes for the cakewalk with the women forming the first circle and the men hoping to win in the second round.

The Macarena, a Latin dance with rapid motions, became a women-only dance as the few men who tried quickly went back to their tables.

The Emerald Dragon Karate Show was fast action from start to finish. One girl put a larger boy flat on the mat leading a member of the audience to say, "Don't mess with those girls."

Everyone was asked to stand and as the various years of the zodiac were called, they sat down. There were two left standing from the year 1928, the Year of the Dragon. They were Jean "German" Krysiuk, a 1945 graduate, who said it was nice of the Junior Honor Society for creating the prom for them. She and the other "Dragon" attend senior citizens together in Walnutport. He was George Breen of Slatington and said he goes to both to the Walnutport and Slatington senior citizens.

Norman Hiller and Iris Fogelman were chosen as the king and queen of the prom. They danced to a song saying, "When we're together it feels so right. May I have this dance for the rest of my life." Halfway through the dance they both switched to their spouses.

As an enjoyable night wound down, the candidates for National Honor Society had completed their group service project. Each also had to do an individual service project.